'''Martin Luther King Jr.''' (born '''Michael King Jr.''', January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptists|Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for his role in the advancement of Civil and political rights|civil rights using the tactics of nonviolence and civil disobedience based on his Christianity|Christian beliefs and inspired by the nonviolent activism of Mahatma Gandhi. King became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, serving as its first president. With the SCLC, King led an unsuccessful Albany Movement|1962 struggle against segregation in Albany, Georgia, and helped organize the 1963 nonviolent protests in Birmingham, Alabama. King also helped to organize...

Birth name	Michael King Jr.
Birth date	{{birth date|mf=yes|1929|1|15}}
Birth place	{{nowrap|Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia, U.S.}}
Death date	{{death date and age|mf=yes|1968|4|4|1929|1|15}}
Death place	{{nowrap|Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.}}
Death cause	Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.|Assassination
Alma mater	{{unbulleted list
Occupation	{{hlist|Minister (Christianity)|Minister|Activism|activist}}
Known for	Civil Rights Movement, Peace movement
Spouse	{{marriage|Coretta Scott King|Coretta Scott|1953|1968}}